Must the real God be abstract. (mysticism, muslim, judaism)

[Ozzie]

I am fascinated by this question.

Recently I saw a documentary on those offensive Danish cartoons. A highly respected Muslim leader pointed to his head when asked why those cartoons were offensive. His reasoning was that depiction of Mohammed interfere with pure notions of God that are held in the head of the believer.

Judaism likewise prescribes reproduction of the likeness of God.

Does reproduction of the likeness of God corrupt purity of belief? Is God abstract?

[w00t]

We all create our own version of God in the image that suits us best!

[Wandered Off]

Originally Posted by Ozzie

A highly respected Muslim leader pointed to his head when asked why those cartoons were offensive. His reasoning was that depiction of Mohammed interfere with pure notions of God that are held in the head of the believer.

It is a fascinating subject, Ozzie. The irony for the leader is that the notion in his head is every bit as much a depiction as the drawing. There's nothing magical about images in our minds that makes them more "pure" in the abstract, only more personal. Too often we confuse the images in our head with God, one of the many "map/territory" mix-ups.

[PureX]

Originally Posted by Ozzie

I am fascinated by this question.

Recently I saw a documentary on those offensive Danish cartoons. A highly respected Muslim leader pointed to his head when asked why those cartoons were offensive. His reasoning was that depiction of Mohammed interfere with pure notions of God that are held in the head of the believer.

Judaism likewise prescribes reproduction of the likeness of God.

Does reproduction of the likeness of God corrupt purity of belief? Is God abstract?

Sure, "God" is the ultimate abstraction. God is so abstract that it can't be defined, or named, except through symbols and metaphors.

But the problem here isn't the abstractness of God, it's the idolatry of man for the symbols and metaphors we use to deal with that abstraction. We confuse the symbols of God with God, because the reality of God is so abstract and difficult to comprehend. Soon we begin to treat the symbols we use to help us comprehend God as though they ARE God. And as different people use different symbols, we begin fighting over the lack of respect that other people show OUR symbols because we feel as though they are disrespecting OUR God.

They aren't. They are only using symbols in ways that we don't like seeing them used. It has nothing really to do with God. But by then we're blinded by our idolatry, and so cannot see this.

[Random]

Originally, "GOD" was the abstraction that encapsulated all other abstrations of mysticism, inclusive of cosmology, epistemology, and loads of other "ologies"...

But representing GOD with images is OK so long as you understand the symbolic nature of it.